Portable computers are usually provided with at least one electronic card connector for receiving an external electronic card. The electronic card connector is provided with a card release device to disengage the card from the card connector. Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 82102557, 82109139 and 83107162 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,324,204, 5,383,789 and 5,421,737 disclose pertinent structures.
A conventional card release device 9 incorporated with an electronic card connector 8 is shown in FIG. 1. The card release device 9 comprises two elongate guides 90 mounted to two support arms 802 extending from an insulative body 80 of the electronic card connector 8. Pins 801 are assembled in the body 80 between the support arms 802. A shielding plate 93 is formed between the two guides 90. A card release plate 91 is slidably attached between the two guides 90 for driving the electronic card (not shown) out of the card connector 8. A release bar 94 is movably received in one of the guides 90, and has a free end extending beyond the guide 90 with a manual push button 901 fixed thereto. A lever arm 92 is engaged with an opposite end of the release bar 94. The lever arm 92 is also pivotably attached to the card release plate 91 whereby when the release bar 94 is pushed inward via the push button 901, the lever arm 92 pivots and drives the card release plate 91 to eject the card from the card connector 8.
Although such a conventional arrangement works well, certain disadvantages exist. A manual force must be applied to the push button 901 to actuate the card release plate 91 and eject the card from the card connector. This may be difficult for some users, especially the disabled.
Thus, it is desirable to have a card release device which can automatically eject a card from a card connector.